NAICS 51

Information in Grand Island, NE

Metro Market Score 36.8 (Moderate), ranked #94 of 294 metros. 28 establishments, 193 jobs.

Metro Market Score 36.8

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Moderate

ⓘ Lower is better. Relative to national information average.

Labor costs are a clear advantage in Grand Island's information sector. The wage competitiveness index of 11.2 puts it among the lowest-cost metros, and wage pressure at 5.9 suggests that gap is holding steady.

Industry Concentration

12.6

LQ: 0.26

Rank #37 of 294 metros

Wage Competitiveness

11.2

$58,773 avg wage

Growth Trend

↓ 1.0

Employment growth index

Rank #292 of 294 metros

Wage Pressure

5.9

YoY wage change index

28 Information Firms in Grand Island

Establishments

-9.7% YoY

193

Total Employment

-36.1% YoY

$58,773

Average Annual Wage

-13.0% YoY

0.26

Location Quotient

Below national avg

Within Nebraska

#1 of 3

information metros in state

Nebraska state rank

#13 of 51

for information entry risk

vs State Median

-12.4

better than median (49.3)

Grand Island vs Nebraska Statewide

How this metro's information market compares to Nebraska overall. The state ranks #13/51 for entry risk.

Measure	Grand Island	NE Statewide
Overall Score	36.8 Moderate	37.8 Moderate
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#94 of 294 metros	#13 of 51 states

Metro and state scores use different methodologies (metro has 4 QCEW-based metrics; state adds BDS survival and momentum data). Direct score comparisons are approximate.

Other Industries in Grand Island

Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 42.3 Other Services 49.6 Finance and Insurance 62.9 Retail Trade 65.5

Information in Other Nebraska Metros

Lincoln 49.3 #186/294 Omaha 70.4 #276/294

Information Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Grand Island's 36.8 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Savannah, GA 36.8 #93/294 Traverse City, MI 36.9 #95/294 Pueblo, CO 36.9 #96/294 Evansville, IN 36.9 #97/294 Morristown, TN 36.9 #98/294 Elmira, NY 37.0 #99/294 Visalia, CA 37.0 #100/294 Jacksonville, NC 36.4 #92/294 Bay City, MI 36.2 #91/294 Topeka, KS 36.2 #90/294

Information in States Bordering Nebraska

State-level entry risk for information in adjacent states. Use this to weigh cross-border options.

South Dakota 33.6 #8/51 Missouri 36.8 #10/51 Kansas 37.6 #12/51 Iowa 38.3 #15/51 Wyoming 42.2 #21/51 Colorado 46.7 #31/51

Browse Information in Other States

State-level entry risk reports for information across all 51 markets, sorted by rank.

About Metro Market Score: A weighted composite of industry concentration (25%), wage competitiveness (25%), wage pressure (20%), and employment growth trend (30%). Lower scores indicate more favorable conditions. For Grand Island's information sector, the employment growth component (99.0) has the strongest pull on the composite. Metro scores use QCEW data only (no BDS survival data at metro level). Read full methodology →

Data Sources

Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW), Bureau of Labor Statistics. MSA-level establishment counts, employment, wages, and location quotients for the Grand Island, NE MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment